


The Iron Burns Cold

by Saengak



Series: AoMei collection [7]
Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Dragon Age - All Media Types, Naruto
Genre: "bad" mages get collared and whump happens, Collared AU, Dragon Age AU, Mage Abuse and Opression (Dragon Age), Mage-Templar Dynamics (Dragon Age), Multi, Please be warned, Whump, mage Ao, templar Kashin, templar Mei, this is darker than my usual
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:55:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22212937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saengak/pseuds/Saengak
Summary: "Given the extant circumstances, the Templar Order and the Chantry are in agreement that there is only one path to be taken should the prospect of total war be diverted from Ferelden and the rest of Thedas. From henceforth, mages who acts in disregard of the Order's rightful oversight shall be collared and placed under the guardianship of a templar for correction and guidance."- 9:36 Dragon
Relationships: Ao/Kashin Koji, Ao/Terumi Mei, Mage(s)/Templar(s) (Dragon Age)
Series: AoMei collection [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1252463
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Prelude

"Stay safe," Ao whispers, cradling Mei's face between his hands as he presses his lips against hers. He will not see her again for weeks or perhaps even months. Suddenly, he needs the familiar comfort of her warm weight pressed against him, even if she is mostly hidden under the hard plates of her armour. Ao closes his eyes to better remember the taste of her.

She’s smirking when he tries to draw back to catch his breath. Nipping at his bottom lip with her teeth, she smooths her hand along his chest. "I'll be back in no time. Now, _you_ stay safe. Don't pick a fight, Ao."

He licks at his sore lip and frowns. "I think you might be mistaking me for someone else."

She laughs, a spirited bark of laughter that never fails to lift the heaviness of his heart. She flicks playfully at the golden clasp at his throat and gives him a meaningful look. "As if I ever could."

Ao smiles.

Her emerald eyes are soft as she leans against him. "I've got to go," she whispers, but she's still holding onto him.

Outside the window of Ao's office, small rowboats have pulled up onto the shore of the island of Kinloch Hold, ready to take Mei and her companions away. The winter's first snow is falling over Lake Calenhad, little white specks that disappear into the rippling water's surface. By the time Mei comes back from her negotiations at Kirkwall, the lake will have frozen over. 

"Quick, go before you decide to stay forever," Ao whispers, letting go of her and stepping back. She straightens, setting her shoulders and lifting her chin, and she is again the proud Knight-Lieutenant she is.

Only the spark in her eyes remains. "I have already decided," she declares. "I entrust this fortress to you for the time being, but expect me soon."

"Yes, my lady," Ao replies, hiding his wistful smile as he escorts her out of his office. "Safe travels."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not actually played the Dragon Age games, so please excuse any mistakes made. I’ve only read a few fanfics and a bit of lore, mostly research done for this fic. But DA's universe is so compelling that I really wanted to write something :')
> 
> Also, please note that it will be mostly Kashin/Ao for the first half of this fic. I have written the prelude + the first three chapters but I am not sure when I will be able to write the rest, so please bear with me regarding updates :)


	2. a templar

Red cloak, burnished iron. The Templar Order's crest is etched across the man's breastplate and the decorative designs of his shoulder plates mark his rank. Most strikingly, a mask rests across the upper half of his face, as if he is attending an Orlesian gala instead of reporting for duty.

Ao dislikes this Lord Kashin Koji the moment he sets foot on Kinloch Hold's rocky shores and it has nothing to do with the fact that he is not Mei. "My Lord," Ao says, inclining his head slightly. The mage beside him bows and hurries off to collect Kashin's travelling chest. "Welcome to the Circle Tower. I hope your travels have not wearied you overly much."

"Not at all. Any weariness I might have felt is easily eased by the sight of this beautiful fortress," Kashin says, his gaze fixed on Ao. "You must be Senior Enchanter Ao. Lady Terumi speaks well of you."

"I am honoured that you know of me." Ao says, smiling warily as he leads Kashin towards the main entrance. This whole business regarding Kashin's arrival has been strange. Yet, his heart is greedy for some news of Mei and his tongue has moments when it refuses to be leashed. "You must have met her in Kirkwall."

The templar stops craning his head at the fortress' spires and smiles. "We used to be in the same class when we were recruits. Vivacious girl, she was. I always knew she'd go far."

The sweet anticipation on Ao's tongue sours. "She is well respected here," Ao agrees, but he secretly wishes that he is back in his office with his books again. He does not want to hear this man reminiscence fondly over his lover. The carved double doors of the fortress are heavy under his hands as he holds them open for Kashin, who pauses to shake off the snow on his cloak.

"I shall find her shoes hard to fill, then," Kashin muses.

Ao stares at him. The faint warmth of the building eases the winter's pinch on his cheeks but Ao feels none of it. "Is she not returning?"

Kashin looks up in surprise. The hem of his cloak falls back down to brush at his boots. "Oh, I do not know. The last I saw of her, she was still held up with Commander Danzou about some thing or another." He shrugs as if it matters nothing to him and indeed it likely does not. "I am here to enforce some new decisions passed by the Chantry. Either way, it is no good to leave a fortress of this size short-staffed."

"Of course," Ao agrees out of politeness. This is not a definitive answer in the negative, at least. He nods to the mage who had collected Kashin’s luggage. "Put Lord Kashin's things in his room." As the mage staggers off, sweating as he lugs Kashin's heavy belongings, Ao leads Kashin another way through the fortress. He walks Kashin through the entrance halls and further into the arched hallways, navigating the winding paths, doors and stairwells without much thought. He knows this place like the back of his hand, having been kept here like a caged bird since he was a child. "We have prepared your rooms for you but I suppose you would like to see the Knight-Commander first."

"I do."

The old Knight-Commander's door is already open when Ao reaches his office. He spots First Enchanter Genji in a chair to the side, his staff in his hand and his wrinkled face set in worried lines. Something is wrong.

"Commander Byakuren," Ao calls, bowing his head as he enters the room. "Lord Kashin Koji of Kirkwall has arrived."

"Good!" Byakuren exclaims, slapping his hand down on his desk as he strides towards the other templar. He shakes Kashin's hand heartily and claps him on the back like old friends, his grizzled beard twitching as he smiles. "Kashin, I thought I would have to travel all the way to Kirkwall to see you again!"

"What serendipity," Kashin laughs, gesturing for the Knight-Commander to take his seat. "These are trying times but there are silver linings, aren't there?"

"Indeed, indeed," Byakuren rumbles, sighing as he sinks back into his chair. "Join me for a drink tonight, the alcohol down at the mess hall is horse piss."

"Goodness. I won't refuse your generosity then, sir."

 _‘Bootlicker,’_ Ao grumbles in his mind. He glances at Genji and sees that the elderly mage's mouth is also set in a thin line of displeasure. The Knight-Commander does not notice or care to notice.

"It's good to have you here. These years..." There is some kind of silent commiseration of between the two of them and irritation rises up in Ao. What do they have to be miserable about? Who knows what awful things Kashin has done himself in the Gallows.

"You need not worry, sir," Kashin says as he produces a letter from some hidden space between the plates of his armour. "Commander Danzou sends his regards."

Byakuren's eyes flicker over the letter avidly. "Wonderful," he declares when he’s finished. "First Enchanter, I believe this is quite the reasonable compromise that the Order and the Chantry have made."

"Compared to an Annulment, perhaps," Genji says, his voice strong despite his aged frame. "But no-one in their right mind would consider a massacre like that the just solution. Neither will increasing the variety and methods of oppressing mages fix anything. I will be writing to the College of Enchanters about this. There is no way that they will accept such a law."

Kashin cocks his head. "So you intend to start a war?"

Genji's heavy eyelids draw up, revealing sharp onyx eyes. "No. But others might."

Byakuren scoffs and ignores the elderly mage. "Kashin, I trust that I can leave this matter in your hands?"

"Of course," Kashin promises, his mouth still stretched in a smile. "I shall recruit Senior Enchanter Ao's aid for this, if he is amenable…?"

Byakuren seems surprised but he agrees readily. “Sure! Use the mages as you see fit. They have their heads in their books all day anyway.”

Ao looks at Kashin from the corner of his eye. Their cryptic conversation has him stewing in frustration. "You will have to explain these new measures to me first," Ao demands. If only he could avoid all their machinations…

"It is simple," Kashin says, his eyes bright behind his ridiculous mask. "When the law is broken, but Tranquility seems too harsh a punishment, a collar shall be applied to the perpetrator and the perpetrator will be assigned to a templar. There are spells to ensure that the mage doesn't remain a danger, of course. My friends at the Gallows were most helpful in formulating the appropriate runes for that."

“What?!” Ao exclaims, his eyes darting between the First Enchanter, the Knight-Commander, and Kashin.

The latter spreads his hands. “It has been decided by the Chantry and the Order. Who are we to question it?”

“First Enchanter, _do_ write to the College,” Ao urges as he turns to his long-time mentor. “This is barbaric.”

“It is,” Genji agrees solemnly.

“But it _is_ the law as it stands, so I would caution you against inciting unrest, Senior Enchanter,” Byakuren warns lowly.

Ao grits his teeth.

* * *

They gather everyone - mages, apprentices, and templars alike - in the main hall to make the announcement. As Kashin speaks, Ao observes the reactions of the assembled templars. After living communally for years in the same space, Ao knows well which are the ones he has to watch out for under this new law. If, Maker forbid, one of his mages or apprentices end up being collared, Ao hopes he can pull some favours and arrange for one of the milder tempered templars to take up the other end of the leash.

If only Mei is here instead of days of travel away. Most of the mage-sympathising templars are gone with her, too.

Ao scowls. Often he feels that they are too pacifist, but neither can he imagine leading Kinloch Hold into war. Having been trapped in the fortress for most of his days, Ao has paltry few friends who are not fellow mages or the rare sympathetic templar, and none of them are in high places. He can feel the eyes of the apprentices on him and some of the mages too. They will need him to protect them. The old balance of power has shifted and Ao does not know how far Kashin's presence will tilt the scales against them. 

He will have to feel out this thorny situation carefully.

"Please don't think badly of this arrangement," Kashin says. That oily smile is always on his face. "With this new option, the Rite of Tranquility will be used less often, so this is beneficial to all of you too."

The crowd shifts uneasily; Ao catches his friend Tsurugi mouthing "Maker's arse" under his breath. At Ao's warning frown, his fellow senior enchanter straightens and wipes the angry grimace from his face.

Ao sighs. He is no Loyalist, but there is no point antagonising an unknown power.

"Senior Enchanter Ao?"

He looks over. "Yes?"

"Since you will be helping me implement these measures, do you have anything to add?" There is a small gasp of betrayal from one of the apprentices and Ao fights to keep the wince off his face.

He definitely has much to say. Too much, perhaps, but none of it is suitable in front of present company. He settles for a gentle prodding. "These measures are harsh, so please behave yourselves. As usual, don't be afraid to approach me in my office if you wish to speak to me regarding these unfortunate new measures. Apprentices, focus on your studies. That's all."

Kashin claps his hands once. "Well put. Dismissed."

* * *

There are crying apprentices in his office within the day.

"Listen," Ao says, keeping his tone firm but gentle, "this is a terrible situation. But unless someone changes the minds of those old coots up at the White Spire, there isn't anything we can do yet. Don't let this break you. All of you are excellent mages-to-be and I don't want to see that potential wasted because of something like this. Keep your head down and keep your neck out of that collar."

"But what if I have a nightmare," one of the youngest, teary eyed apprentices hiccups, "and accidentally make noise after curfew? Will I get put in t-the collar?"

"I shall be very angry if any templar does so," Ao assures. "A small, accidental noise isn't something to be punished so harshly for."

The child gives him a wobbly smile but older apprentices are not so easily consoled. With the weight of their impending Harrowing pressing down on them and now this alarming new measure, they are straining to keep it together. "Senior Enchanter," a long-haired girl begs, her brown eyes glistening, "isn't there anything you can do?"

The corners of Ao's mouth drag downwards. "The First Enchanter is already corresponding with the other Circles about this. We will have to be patient. I can't guarantee anything, Miru, but you all have my word that I will do my best to protect all of you." Miru sniffles into her hand and her friend clasps her shoulder. Ao looks over the small group of apprentices and smiles wearily, knowing that they are seeking for comfort and that there is little he can give. "Look out for each other and move in groups. Make sure there are eyewitnesses if anything happens and support each other. Understood?"

They nodded shakily, their eyes wide. _‘Their faces are still so soft with youth,’_ Ao muses sadly as they thank him. He does not want to lose a single one of them; not to their Harrowing and not to this, but he knows he cannot keep all of them safe. One of them will be collared sooner or later, if only so that Kashin can prove to the Order that he is carrying out his duties.

Slowly, they trickle out of his office, but the burden of responsibility continues to weigh down on his shoulders. Ao sighs as the door closes behind the last apprentice and finally allows himself to reach for the stack of correspondence at his right hand. He sifts through them rapidly, his eyes flickering over the envelopes in hopes of seeing his name in Mei's hand. In all honesty, he's in need of a little comfort himself.

He comes to the last letter and his heart sinks at the sight of a stranger's scrawl. Setting it down, Ao leans back against his chair and turns towards the window. The glass is frosted at the edges with ice— sharp little spikes that capture the bright, cold sunlight in their needle-like bodies. Lake Calenhad is already frozen over.


	3. a mage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mild non-con touching.

As is customary, the mages are let out on the frozen surface of Lake Calenhad once the ice is thick enough that no-one is at risk of falling through and dying. The templars, with their heavy armour and broadswords, follow along cautiously as escorts.

It's an annual event that most apprentices look forward to, as it is the closest that they can get to the shore without passing their Harrowing. And since Lake Calenhad sprawls a good fifteen acres, there is plenty of open space for them to run about to their heart's pleasure.

Most of all, it is a small taste of freedom.

After the first apprentice was collared just last week, it is a much needed escape from the thick miasma of fear that fills the fortress. The apprentice had been caught trying to sneak in an unauthorised letter with the rest of the mail. It’s just a harmless letter, just something a stupid kid would do in a moment of acute homesickness and fear, but for all that Ao had argued with Kashin until his throat became sore, the templar was firm. Ao was helpless to protest as the apprentice was collared and given to Garou, who had become one of Kashin’s minions.

Snow crunches beneath Ao's boots as he trails behind a group of apprentices. They wobble like newborn deer as they stagger across the Lake's surface, holding onto each other’s sleeves and shrieking when their more ambitious friends slip and fall. For every yell or rowdy shove, they would glance back at the templars in worry, but when nothing happens, they throw themselves eagerly into this distraction from reality.

Hugging his robes closer to himself, Ao shivers as he pulls the hood of his cloak down lower over his face. He may be an ice mage but it does not mean that his aching bones are immune to the scouring wind. The bright midday sun helps little.

"You look like you need a few more layers."

Ao looks up from his boots, feeling his stomach drop when he sees Kashin striding towards him with his usual smile. "I'm fine."

"Here, take my cloak," he says, already unbuckling the clasp at his shoulder.

Startled, Ao thrusts out his hand. "No, that's. That's unnecessary. Thank you."

"Don't blame me if you take ill, then," Kashin sighs dramatically, securing his cloak again. Ao eyes him warily. "It's my duty to take of your well-being, after all."

It strikes too close to what Mei likes to say to him and Ao feels a little ill. Ao has _seen_ how he'd treated that apprentice, even when the young man had begged and wept for mercy. If he really had the mages' interests in mind, he'd have given the apprentice a few days in the isolation cells and let him go.

Ao opens his mouth to say as much but something flickers in the corner of his eye.

"Oh, look at that."

Five mages have broken off from another group and started a dead sprint towards the far shore. Ao is off running before his mind even processed the implications of such a thing, his boots slipping with each broad lunge forward as he races towards those foolish, foolish mages.

"Stop!" he yells, cold air stinging his throat. "What are you doing?"

The nearby templars are shouting and giving chase too, gaining ground rapidly on the frantic mages. There is a good distance still to the shore—they are never going to make it, don't they understand? Escape is impossible.

The ice cracks, a whole canal's length of ice shattering into pieces right across the Lake, trapping the templars on one side and the mages on the other. The runaways continued their desperate sprint, but two skid to a stop and thrust out their hands. Flames burst into being and quickly turn the slushy canal into water.

 _‘Such expenditure of magic,’_ Ao thinks in shock.

The Templars shout and back away from the flames, but the damage is done. Unless they can walk on water, it would be too far to jump.

But Ao doesn't pause. Drawing upon the Fade, he forms a narrow bridge of ice under his feet and sprints right across the sloshing water. The bridge collapses as soon as he’s across and behind him, Kashin makes a frustrated sound as he doubles back to grab another mage. "Stop!" Ao yells again, breath misting before his face as he gains on them slowly. "Stop before it's too late!" He finally glimpses a familiar face and he shouts. " _Eri!_ "

His fellow senior enchanter looks back, the pale crescent of her face emerging from the black hood pinned against her hair, and Ao's stomach twists at the pure rage on her features. _"Traitor,"_ she mouths.

Pain flares to life in Ao's side as his muscles cramp suddenly. He gasps, slowing as he clutches at his side, but a flash of crimson darts past him.

"No!" Ao shouts, his voice cracking as he forces his numb legs to pump harder again. "Lord Kashin, don’t!"

The templar is going too fast for him and with too much ease. The naked steel in Kashin's hand gleams as he raises it, intent on cutting down the nearest mage as the distance between them shrinks and disappears.

"No," Ao cries out again, his hand reaching out even though he's too far away. He can't let this happen, not again, not this time—

A wall of ice forms between Kashin and the last mage just as Kashin swings downwards with a grunt. The ice shatters like glass, sending shimmering, jagged pieces through the air as the heavy broadsword bites deep into it. Kashin pauses, yanks his blade out of the ice, and turns on Ao.

"How terrible, my dear mage. And here I thought we were friends."

Ao gasps, falling to his knees and digging his hands into the snow as the horror of what he'd done crashes down on him. The Fade writhes at the back of his mind, demanding to be used, but Ao is frozen at the sight of Kashin's pleased smirk.

Then pain bursts at the back of his head and everything falls into darkness.

* * *

Ao wakes up in a soft bed with an unfamiliar scent. Wincing at the pain that throbs through his skull when the first glimpse of light invades his eyes, Ao covers his face with a shaky hand.

Memories of something about a frozen lake trickle through his confused mind, something distressing enough to make his chest feel tight, but his brain feels swollen and slow. His hand closes over the heavy, woolen blanket covering him and he holds onto it, shivering at the chill of fear that remains in his bones.

Cracking open his eyes again, slowly, he examines the room. It's a templar's. For a moment he thinks that it's Mei's, but his hopes are dashed when he realises that the only remotely familiar thing is the standard issue furniture. None of her thousand stray things are there: no gown hanging off the armour rack, no comb sitting on the shelf, no fancy writing paper accented with her perfume. Instead, the room is almost utilitarian, bare except for the locked travelling chest the sits beside the bed, as if it had never been unpacked.

Ao remembers that chest. Looking down, he sees Kashin's crimson cloak draped over himself. The cursed thing goes flying to the foot of the bed as Ao forces himself to sit up, only to moan and cradle his head as his injury makes itself known with vengeance. He does not quite dare to prod the back of his head, bandaged as it is, but—

He lowers his hands and stares at the complex runes wrapping around each of his wrists. Each band is about three inches wide, like shackles that have been tattooed onto his skin. There's a weight around his neck too. With a trembling hand, he reaches up and touches the heavy band of iron around his throat, tracing the rounded, seamless collar until he reaches the ring at the front again. A sob of denial catches in his throat when he feels the etched runes beneath his fingers. This isn't some sick game that Kashin is playing with him; it's officiated punishment.

He's cold. He'd been stripped down to his trousers and covered with only the cloak, but Ao is not going to touch it again. Who is his master, now? All signs pointed to it being Kashin but Ao clings onto hope that he isn't.

Breathing heavily in fear, Ao scrambles for his clothes where they are hanging over the footboard, each item folded neatly. He needs to get out of here.

The sound of a key turning in the door rips through his frantic thoughts and Ao freezes, his shirt still in his hand. "Oh, you're awake," Kashin says cheerily as he opens the door. He eyes the discarded cloak at the foot of the bed but his smile does not waver.

"What did you do?" Ao accuses, his voice hoarse.

"Me?" Kashin sounds surprised. "I saved you, did you know that?" Ao flinches as the templar reaches out but Kashin is faster, his fingers hooking into the narrow space between the collar and Ao's skin and tugging him forward. "The Knight-Commander," Kashin whispers, "takes it very seriously when a _Senior Enchanter_ uses magic against a _Lieutenant-Commander_ , and what more, in aid of apostate mages. You're lucky you're not Tranquil right now, like your other friends."

A shudder courses through Ao as Kashin jerks his collar again, causing it to bite into the back of his neck. Pain throbs sharply through his head again at the sudden movement. _‘They're alive,’_ Ao tries to tell himself, but it's cold comfort when they've been made mere shadows of themselves. He has failed them, just like he had failed that apprentice.

"You should be grateful, my dear mage," Kashin murmurs, stroking Ao's cheek with the back of his other hand. Ao turns away, his stomach churning.

"Don't touch me."

Kashin lets go and straightens to his full height, his smile sliding off his face. "Come here and kneel."

It is as if Ao had suddenly fallen into a trance. His mind is suddenly blank of all thoughts except for the command Kashin had given him. His body is a puppet pulled forward on strings, absolutely helpless to disobey. The compulsion ends when his knees hit the ground, leaving Ao gasping and scrabbling at his collar hard enough to leave red lines along his own neck.

"Don't do that," Kashin chides, his voice still laced with enough power that Ao's hands fall away from the collar immediately.

 _It must be blood magic,_ Ao realises as he stares up at Kashin's smirk with blurry eyes. He feels the tug of its power deep within him, as if the command has hooked into every inch of his flesh and pulled taut. He hadn't fallen into a trance-like state this time, or perhaps he had but it was too short for him to know. Ao tries again to disobey, for the sake of testing the collar's boundaries, but he loses his will before even managing to touch the collar. His hands drop back to his side again and he chokes on despair.

Kashin makes a sympathetic sound and cups Ao's jaw, stroking a thumb along his cheek. "You'll get used to it, little mage. Here, maybe you'll cheer up with a bit of good news." He sits down on his haunches so he is eye-level with Ao. "You're still Senior Enchanter," he announces with a smile. "Aren't you glad? I told Byakuren it would be such a waste for a man of your talent to be demoted to a mere Enchanter! With some correction and guidance from a suitably firm hand... you won't be a danger at all."

Ao glares at him balefully but Kashin is unperturbed.

"I do admire your magical ability. To be able to form a barrier of ice before my sword cut off your access to the Fade—that was some fast casting. And without your staff too..." Kashin whistles lowly. "Be glad that you'll get to keep the few creature comforts you've earned over the years. We’ll be quite busy with some things that I doubt you’d want your fellow mages to know about."

"What things," Ao croaks in alarm.

Kashin's eyes glint behind his mask. _"Exciting_ things."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Ao.


	4. a horror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, warning for non-con touching. And a kiss.

Ao walks back to his chambers on the second floor as if he is in a dream. A living nightmare.

Even after he'd put on his many layers, hiding his collar first under the loose turtleneck of his shirt and then under his outer jacket, he still feels as though everyone’s staring at it. Maybe they are; they must have heard the news by now. Ao keeps his gaze fixed forward and avoids meeting the eyes of those he passes by. At least his sleeves are long enough to cover the runes that encircle his wrists like shackles.

It's a relief to be back in his rooms. Locking the door, Ao leans his back against it with an unsteady exhale. The midday sun shines through the window, lighting up the dancing motes that had been stirred up by his entrance.

He can't hide in here forever. His desk must be piling up with correspondence, research proposals, invoices, and the many other things that he must attend to. The other mages must be shaken by the incident, too, although the other senior enchanters must have seen to them. Had Kashin beaten the rogue mages half to death first before subjecting them to Tranquility? There may be more foolish rebellions being hatched right now.

Ao sits down on the cold stone floor and touches at the clasp at the collar of his jacket, running the fine golden chain between his fingers. Mei had given him this; he wears it just as she wears the necklace he had given to her. However, this comforting habit of his is ruined when his hand bumps against the uncomfortable iron collar beneath his shirt.

With his head resting against the door, Ao allows his heavy eyelids to slip closed for a moment. How that apprentice must have suffered when he’d been collared, too. When Mei comes back, they'll petition the Knight-Commander together. Surely it would be possible for her to take over control of that apprentice’s collar from Garou. Then at least that boy will be spared.

But as for Ao… While Mei can order Garou around, she can’t do that to Kashin, who is of the same rank. Ao can’t imagine Kashin giving up control over his collar and neither can he imagine the Knight-Commander forcing him to. There is simply no reason for it, however much Ao may wish to be under Mei’s hand instead.

Ao can only resign himself to his fate.

* * *

"I'm sorry about this, Ao," Genji sighs as he leans on his staff. "I know your intentions were good, but lesser mistakes have earned the Rite of Tranquility."

Ao stands before him with his hands clasped behind his back and his head bowed, his lowered gaze on the half-written letter on his desk. "I know," Ao whispers. "I made a mistake."

Genji is silent for a while. Then, he shakes his head. "You did what your heart told you was right. I cannot fault you for that. And that templar... it is obvious that he has set his sights on you for a while."

Ao knows well by now.

"Wait for Lady Mei’s return," Genji says, clearly thinking along the same lines as Ao had earlier. "Even if she cannot take over your collar, Kashin will not be as bold when she’s around."

"Write to her on my behalf, will you?" Ao pleads. "I don’t know what freedoms I will be allowed in the future."

"I will." The old elderly mage reaches out with a gnarled hand and grasps Ao's forearm tight. "Bear it for a while. I have received word from the other First Enchanters. We will meet at the White Spire in a fortnight to overturn this and I will set off in two days.”

“Who will hold fort while you are gone?”

“Tsurugi. Or do you have anyone else to recommend…?”

“No, Tsurugi will do well. I will aid him whenever I can.”

“Good, then it is settled. If I die on this trip, I have left instructions in the drawer of my desk.” Ao bows his head and the elderly man pats his arm. “But let’s hope I have enough left in me to see this mess through yet. Have you eaten? You’re looking wan.”

“No… there are too many people. I can’t bring myself to go down to the kitchen.”

Genji sighs. “You must face them. You have done nothing shameful, Ao, and the rest of the enchanters and apprentices still look to you for guidance. If any one of them treats you poorly, then they are ignorant fools.”

“You’re right,” Ao murmurs, looking to the elder and drawing strength from Genji’s seemingly unshaken confidence in him. “I can’t let them down now. If it’s the only thing I can do, I will try to keep Kashin’s attention diverted from Tsurugi and the rest.” _And find out what he’s planning._

The First Enchanter nods sadly. “I will leave that to you, Ao.”

* * *

The dining hall falls into a hush the moment Ao steps into it. Clenching his jaw, Ao keeps his footsteps measured as he heads towards the kitchens at the back. If only he could have used the hidden passages and avoided the burn of all those eyes on him, but he cannot hide forever.

He is a braver man than this. Even with the collar hanging heavy around his neck and a self-conscious flush creeping down his nape, he will look them in the eye. Ao repeats this in his mind as he collects his dinner from the utterly silent apprentices on duty and turns back to the hall.

They’re looking directly at him. Ao stops. _‘Something simple is sufficient,’_ he tells himself. _‘Just say something.’_

“My office hours will be as usual,” he says, wincing at how harsh his disused voice sounds in the amidst their whispering. “Despite the recent events, I am back on my feet and will continue to do my utmost. If you have any concerns, don’t be afraid to speak up.”

After enduring a few beats of silence, Ao turns to go.

“Wait!”

He stops and looks back. It’s Miru, standing up amongst her peers but clearly nervous at the attention that’s now on her. “Did you really get collared?”

Ao swallows. “Yes.”

Gasps erupt in the hall and Miru claps her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. Fearful mumbling reaches Ao’s ears and a few eye him with pity, but when no-one dares to ask anymore questions, Ao quickly takes his leave.

He nearly drops his hard-won dinner when he steps out of the hall and finds Eri waiting in the shadows. The chantry seal on her forehead is visible even in the dim light of the sputtering torches, a crimson sunburst etched into her pale skin. She raises her face when he approaches but does not speak. “Eri,” he says softly. “Are you well?” He nearly cringes at himself. Of course she is not well.

Just when Ao suspects that she is unable to use her voice at all, she opens her mouth. “I was angry at you.”

Ao’s heart squeezes at the flat sound of her voice, so utterly emotionless and detached. This is not her. Even if she were to rage and curse at him, he would be glad. “I’m sorry,” Ao whispers. “I didn’t know.”

“Naturally. We didn’t trust you. You were always too close to the templars.”

Her words strike him hard. Had his relationship with Mei ostracised them?

“You were always under their control,” she states, and Ao swallows. “But with the collar, I suppose it is now literal.”

“Why did you all run, Eri?” he asks, desperate for some other reason. “There was no way the escape would have been successful. We could have worked something out instead.” Surely there was a way. Ao must believe it. There is always a way.

“You can try ‘working something out’ with Lord Kashin. Lady Mei may treat you kindly, but no templar is truly on our side.” She pauses and steps back, shaking her head. “But I suppose all this talk is worthless now. In this state, I can follow my past self’s reasoning but I cannot see the point of holding a grudge against you.”

Ao doesn’t know what to say.

“I hope your templar master treats you well. Goodnight, Senior Enchanter Ao.”

* * *

Kashin calls him to the basement after dinner.

"Are you all nice and full?" he asks cheerfully as he takes Ao's hand and presses it against the door. "Don't want you fainting in the middle of this. But hmm, I hope you don't have a weak stomach either."

Ao casts a spell to release the entrance's wards when Kashin commands him through the collar. "What are you planning?" he demands. Kashin slams the door closed and suddenly they're in the dark, the sound of their breathing loud in the silence.

"Nothing much," Kashin murmurs, much too close for Ao's liking. "Just a little side project I have going on."

Ao light the torches with a bit of mana, blinking as the darkness is banished to the far corners of the basement. It looks just as he’d remembered, with its cold stone passages and heavy locked doors. The air is stale, smelling of old, disused things. It must be in his mind, but he can almost pick up the scent of old blood.

"Explain," Ao demands again as he follows Kashin deeper into the basement, until they reach an empty hallway far away from the entrance. His grip on his staff tightens as Kashin draws a curved dagger from his belt.

"What was the demon that approached you during your Harrowing?" Kashin asks, turning the dagger in his hand. "Sloth? Desire? _Pride?_ "

Ao's lips thin. "Desire."

"Did it try to fuck you first?" Kashin laughs.

"... _what?_ "

"Come stand here," the templar says, still smirking, and Ao's legs move without his permission. He takes Ao's hand, holding it palm up. "Have you ever tried blood magic before?"

Horrified, Ao tries to snatch his hand back but Kashin holds on tight. Behind his mask, his eyes are coldly amused. "Lord Kashin," Ao whispers, his voice harsh with fear. "Blood magic is forbidden and will cost us both our lives if the Chantry finds out!"

Kashin says nothing. The knife presses against Ao's palm and Kashin closes Ao’s hand around it, forcing it to bite into his flesh. Ao inhales sharply as blood wells through his fingers.

"Please, Lord Kashin—"

"Listen to my instruction and cast as I tell you."

Ao struggles to hold onto his will as the compulsion falls over him, but it is like trying to hold onto the muddy bank of a river as the raging waters try their best to carry him away. Kashin slaps him across the face—and he slips and sinks.

Kashin undoes the clasp at Ao’s collar and pulls down the neck of his shirt. His bare hand wraps around Ao’s neck and the collar, holding him by the throat as the templar embraces him from the back. Ao can feel the templar’s warm breath on his neck but he can only shudder where he is trapped at the back of his own mind. This time, the compulsion spell is even more violating.

It feels as if Kashin’s thoughts have shouldered their way into his own skull. The templar’s will reaches into him and grasps the core of himself, where he'd always felt the connection to the Fade, and forces him to cast spell after spell. It’s almost like possession, but the demon during his Harrowing had never dug its claws this deeply into his person. Kashin’s thoughts are echoing louder than his own, racing with excitement as he uses Ao to set up a barrier in preparation for the summoning.

“Come forth,” Kashin whispers, and—

The demon appears.

It is a twisted, swollen thing. It’s hunched body pulses red with blood and lava as it drags its feet towards Ao, its jaw hanging unhinged and its face glowing holes where its eyes should have been.

"That's it," Kashin hisses into Ao’s ear. The heat coming from the demon is incredible. "Look at that lovely thing."

The back of Ao's robes is already damp with cold sweat, his breath rapid with fear even though he's frozen in place by the collar's hold on him. It's a rage demon, the weakest of the lot, but even then it is a hulking monstrosity. The demon smashes its limbs against the barrier, its bones protruding between muscle as it dislocates its own arms from the force of the blow.

It screams in fury but Kashin just laughs.

"How many people do you think that thing can kill before the Knight-Commander gets to it?” he shouts. “Maybe that old fool won't even be able to scratch it with his rusty sword!" Kashin wraps his arm tighter around Ao's trembling body as the demon claws at the invisible barrier. "For a first try, this isn't bad at all, mage." He kisses Ao's wet cheek. "We'll get better at this."

Finally letting Ao go, Kashin draws his sword and advances on the demon.

“Let the barrier down!” The demon stumbles and Kashin swings, gouging a deep wound into the demon's flesh. It howls, lashing out again, but Kashin lifts his sword and lays its stomach open. "I'm going to keep this mage for myself a little longer," he grunts.

At the spray of gore and lava over the floor, Ao's knees finally give out. Doubled over on all fours, it is all he can do to keep from vomiting onto the floor. The stench in the air is nauseating and he chokes on it even as he heaves for breath.

The howling stops with a wet gurgle.

When the compulsion lifts, Ao is a shaking mess. He is ruined. Even if Mei returns to claim his collar, Kashin will forever hold this over him. The wound on his hand is already healed - another spell that Kashin had him cast - but the silvery scar is there for all who look closely enough.

"Please," Ao begs, looking up the length of Kashin's bloodied sword and seeing his pleased smirk. "Don't do this."

"Little mage," Kashin whispers, squatting down to wipe Ao's cheek dry but leaving a smear of blood instead. "That was just the first, weakling demon. Imagine what others we can summon. Ones with true intelligence, perhaps." He grins as he takes Ao’s face in both hands, not caring one whit that they are covered in blood and stinking of demon gore. "When we finally manage to get a powerful demon - a Pride demon, perhaps - I'll have it possess you. Only the best for you, I promise."

A sob of horror escapes Ao as he stares up at the templar with wide eyes, and Kashin looks down his nose at him with mock pity.

"My poor mage. Maybe with your good looks, the resulting abomination won't even be hard on the eyes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... I have run out of drafts! Hence leaving poor Ao in a terrible situation! I'm sorry Ao... :'(


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